Tony Dungy talks in his book, Quiet Strength, about the time he received a job offer from another team when he was an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The other job was for more money, so Dungy discussed the offer with his boss, Steelers’ head coach, Chuck Noll.
Noll told Dungy not to make the decision solely on money. Noll urged Dungy to consider who he would be working with, what he could learn from them, the type of environment he would be in, and the level of responsibility he would be given. After weighing those considerations, Dungy decided to stay with the Steelers and build his experience, and that turned out very well for him.
As recruiters, we owe it to our client companies and candidates to look at the big picture. It starts when we discuss a new opening a company wants to fill. The salary range for a new opening needs to make sense, but it’s equally important to understand why the position is open, the career path for the candidate, the environment and company culture, and the benefits and bonuses available to a candidate.
It’s helpful for companies to give IT recruiters great ideas on how to sell their job openings to candidates, as many companies look for the same IT talent, and there are only so many .Net and Java developers in the market.
Recruiters and candidates often jump to the money question without considering other factors. I don’t recommend candidates take a step backward financially for a job change, but there are plenty of factors to consider besides money when making a job change. I see more IT candidates in the Twin Cities who make a job change because of work/life balance, work location, percentage of travel, and career growth than for money.
It’s important that recruiters and candidates talk about factors other than money throughout the process. That way, when a job offer comes through for a candidate, the discussion is not only about money, but also about an educated, solid career move.
Content provided by Joe Janasz
